According to Xinhua News, on March 21st, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. successfully carried out the trial operation of hydrogen energy city trains on the test line in Changchun, marking an important step in the application of hydrogen energy in the field of rail transit in China. The train adopts hydrogen power system and does not rely on traditional fossil energy or catenary power supply. it has achieved full load operation at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It adopts the hybrid energy supply scheme of multi-energy storage and multi-hydrogen energy system, as well as the self-developed hydrogen-electricity hybrid energy management strategy and control system, so that the energy consumption reaches the international leading level, the maximum cruising range can reach more than 1,000 kilometers. This test verifies the actual performance of hydrogen energy trains under various environmental conditions, and provides scientific and technological support for the autonomous controllability of key technologies of transportation equipment in China.
Under the background of global transition to low carbon and green, hydrogen energy is booming as a clean energy in the field of rail transit. At present, some countries have started to operate hydrogen energy trains, including:
Germany: On September 17, 2018, the world's first two hydrogen trains were put into service in Germany. On August 25, 2022, the world's first environmentally friendly railway line consisting of hydrogen-powered passenger trains started operation in Lower Saxony, Germany.
France: On February 1, 2023, Alstom Company of France began a three-day trial operation of the hydrogen energy train "Coradia iLint".
Photo: The first domestic hydrogen energy train was successfully tested
Although hydrogen energy vehicles have potential environmental advantages and convenience for long-distance driving, they still face a series of challenges in large-scale popularization and use due to insufficient infrastructure, high cost, low energy efficiency, safety problems and technical challenges:
- Inadequate infrastructure: Hydrogen energy vehicles need hydrogen refueling stations for hydrogenation, but is small quantity at present, which is far from enough to support the use of large-scale hydrogen energy vehicles. The lack of perfect infrastructure limits consumers' choice of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- High cost: The cost of manufacturing hydrogen energy vehicles is relatively high, mainly due to the high production cost of hydrogen fuel cells and the high construction cost of hydrogen storage and hydrogenation facilities. The high cost makes the purchase price of hydrogen energy vehicles higher, which limits the purchase intention of ordinary consumers.
- Energy efficiency issues: At present, the energy efficiency of hydrogen energy vehicles is relatively low. From preparing hydrogen to driving cars, the efficiency of energy conversion is low, and a large amount of electricity is needed to prepare hydrogen, so the overall energy utilization rate is not high. Compared with electric vehicles, hydrogen energy vehicles have lower energy efficiency, which also limits their popularization and application.
- Security issues: Hydrogen is a kind of flammable and explosive gas, which has some potential safety hazards in the process of storage and transportation. Despite technological advances, concerns about the safety of hydrogen still exist, which is also a factor hindering the promotion of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- Technical challenges: There are still some challenges in the technology of hydrogen energy vehicles, such as the life of hydrogen fuel cells and the improvement of hydrogen storage technology. Although some progress has been made in these areas, more research and innovation are needed to solve these problems.
This successful trial operation marks an important progress in the application of hydrogen energy in railway transportation in China, promotes the sustainable utilization of energy and the independent control of transportation equipment technology, and at the same time demonstrates China's scientific and technological strength in the field of hydrogen energy technology and enhances its international competitiveness.
